Giuseppe D’Arpa, girls’ varsity coach at Lord Botetourt, said that he is thankful of the opportunity to have gotten to know and coach Whitlock over the past few years. He described her as being a well-rounded athlete and student.

He attributes her work ethic as being one of the reasons why the program is strong, adding that “she’s saved our butts several times over the past several years.”

“She’s very persistent and determined,” he said.

Elizabeth Whitlock, Abby’s mother, explained that she and her husband have been watching their daughter play soccer ever since she first started in kindergarten.

“The thing about Abby is that she has not only worked very hard on getting good at soccer, but she has also worked very hard in school,” she said. “She has excelled academically because of that reason.”

She added that in addition to her daughter’s athletic and academic abilities, she is also a talented artist. She explained that her reaction upon seeing some of her daughter’s art work was: “My gosh. Abby, you’re really good at this.

“We’re elated that we get to continue watching her play soccer,” Elizabeth said, adding that she’s looking forward to cheering her daughter on from the sidelines.

Rob Whitlock, Abby’s father, noted that because of the fact that his daughter started playing soccer at such a young age, the sport became a part of him and his family.

“We’re thrilled that she gets to keep playing the game that she loves,” he said.

He attributes part of his daughter’s success to the “great coaching” she has received.

Randolph College is a private liberal arts college based in Lynchburg.